Microtone
Any interval smaller than a semitone, used in various musical traditions and contemporary composition.
Category
pitch
Pronunciation
/ˈmaɪkrəʊtəʊn/
Origin
Greek (mikros) + Latin (tonus)
Length
161 words · 1 min read
About Microtone
Microtones are pitches that fall between the cracks of the standard twelve-note chromatic scale. Many musical cultures have used microtonal intervals for centuries — Turkish makam, Indian raga, and Arabic maqam systems all employ intervals of roughly a quarter-tone or other fractions of a semitone.
More pitch terms
Overtone
View all pitchterms →A higher frequency that sounds simultaneously above a fundamental pitch, shaping the tone colour of a note.
Concert PitchThe internationally agreed standard tuning reference where A above middle C vibrates at 440 Hz.
TessituraThe range of pitches within which a vocal or instrumental part predominantly sits, distinct from total range.
Pitch ClassA group containing all notes that share the same letter name regardless of octave, such as every C on the keyboard.
IntonationThe accuracy with which a performer produces the correct pitch of each note.
Synonyms
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v1 · 10/04/2026Browse all terms →